Montgomery Advertiser Endorsements: Recommendations for 12 Amendments

When River Region voters go to the polls Nov. 6, they will see on the ballot an all too familiar sight, courtesy of our cumbersome state constitution - a big block of proposed constitutional amendments. Many voters find these daunting, others irritating and many will skip them altogether.

The amendments are important, however, and we urge voters to make the effort to learn about them and to be part of the decision making process. We'll slog through them now, with our recommendations:

No. 1 - This amendment reauthorizes for another 20 years the Forever Wild Land Trust, one of the wisest programs ever enacted in this state. Since it was first approved by voters 20 years ago, the program has acquired about 220,000 acres of ecologically significant land for preservation. Alabama still has far less public land than other Southeastern states, so the contribution of Forever Wild is all the more critical. We recommend voting yes.

No. 2 - This allows the refinancing of state bonds used in industrial recruitment efforts. It does not raise the debt limit for those bonds, but instead allows refinancing savings to be used for these projects, which are critical in competing with other states. We recommend voting yes.

No. 3 - This affects only the tiny community of Stockton in Baldwin County. There is no reason for River Region residents to vote on it.

No. 4 - This removes from the constitution old and offensive language regarding school segregation and poll taxes, which is certainly desirable, but also has raised some legal concerns over its potential impact on the state's obligation to maintain a system of public education. Given those concerns, we recommend voting no, and also urge the Legislature to come back with a clean amendment that addresses only the segregation and poll tax language, which has no place in the constitution.

No. 5 - This relates to the Water Works and Sewer Board in Prichard. There is no reason for River Region residents to vote on it.

No. 6 - This is an empty gesture, a pointless attempt to protest the Affordable Care Act by stating that no one shall be compelled to participate in a health care system. Of course, federal law supersedes state law, so this amendment is meaningless. We recommend voting no.

No. 7 - This establishes the right to vote by secret ballot in any political election or union representation election as fundamental in Alabama. As a practical matter, it's the union vote component that is significant and that makes this amendment important.

We recommend voting yes.

No. 8 - Everyone remembers the 61 percent pay raise legislators granted themselves in 2007 to the great and justified outrage of most Alabamians. This amendment changes the compensation process by taking it out of the hands of the Legislature and tying the pay to the median household income in Alabama. If it goes up, their pay goes up; if it goes down, their pay goes down. It eliminates the bogus "expense allowance" that is currently paid regardless of actual expenses incurred. We recommend voting yes.

No. 9 - This is another clean-up amendment that removes outdated language on things such as canals and railroads while maintaining the authority to regulate and tax corporations and other entities. We recommend voting yes.

No. 10 - This amendment removes outdated language on banking in the state, such as a requirement to redeem bills in gold or silver. We recommend voting yes.

No. 11 - This pertains only to Lawrence County. There is no reason for River Region residents to vote on it.

For Montgomery County voters, there is a 12th amendment on the ballot. This amendment changes the terms of Board of Education members from six years to four years. There's a good case to be made for it, as six years is a long time to have to keep an ineffective or divisive board member before voters get another say. A four-year term seems reasonable. We recommend voting yes.

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Montgomery Advertiser Endorsements: Recommendations for 12 Amendments

When River Region voters go to the polls Nov. 6, they will see on the ballot an all too familiar sight, courtesy of our cumbersome state constitution - a big block of proposed constitutional

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